News

Mexico is setting out an ambitious programme of infrastructure development to the Tehuantepec Isthmus area in Oaxaca State in the south of the country. The work will include widening and upgrading the Salina Cruz-Coatzacoalcos road link, as well as building the Matias Romero bypass and the Acayucan-La Ventosa road section. This infrastructure development plan is expected to cost just over US$425 million in all and also includes improvements to rail connections and ports in the area. Road maintenance works

The fallback option for a major road and tunnel project in Australia now includes the possible payment of compensation should construction delays hold back its opening. The potential compensation package is being planned by the Victoria State Government to Transurban for Melbourne’s massive US$4.73 billion (A$6.7 billion) West Gate Tunnel project. The size of the compensation fee remains as yet unannounced, although some estimates suggest it could be as high as $1.27 billion (A$1.8 billion). Transurban expe

Semcon, a Swedish applied automation company, said it has started an on-site project to clear snow from runway landing lights using autonomous vehicles. Most often the time-consuming job of clearing snow around landing lights has to be done manually because of the intricate maneouvres needed to avoid damaging the lighting systems. The trial project, which started this month, will be demonstrated in about a year’s time at Örnsköldsvik Airport, around 525km north of the Swedish capital Stockholm, accord

Canada’s Alberta province is considering a US$1.2 billion upgrade to its High Load Corridor that recently saw transportation of an 820 tonne petrochemical pipe. The 96m long tower – equivalent to a football pitch in length and about two lanes wide - was made in the capital city Edmonton, loaded onto a special trucking unit and driven the 38km to Fort Saskatchewan, mostly along provincial Highway 14 and then 21. The journey took four days and the tower, a polypropylene-propane splitter - will be instal

Europe’s drive for improved road safety will see new targets being set. Previous ambitious plans to reduce road casualty rates have not been achieved, so new strategies are being devised. The European Transport Safety Commission (ETSC) is setting out its latest plans. In 2010, the European Union renewed its commitment to improve road safety by setting a target of reducing road deaths by 50% by 2020, compared to 2010 levels. This target followed an earlier target set in 2001 to halve road deaths by 2010. A n

Construction of a major new expressway is due to commence in Laos during February 2019. The country is also planning an extensive programme of road upgrades and development work. Construction is commencing on a four-lane expressway that will connect Dongmakkhai village in Xaythany district and the Lao International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre in Xaysettha district. The project is benefiting from US$200 million from a local firm and Chinese company Nolico. The 15.2km expressway is intended to cu

A tender has been announced to build a third lane for the A2 motorway between Lodz and Warsaw in Poland. According to the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA), the cost will be around €139 million with completion set for 2021. The A2 is part of the country’s road infrastructure connecting Poland with the European motorway network. The A2 Motorway is part of the TransEuropean Road Network (E30) from Cork in Ireland to Omsk in Russia and is located in Pan-European transport

A number of major road concession agreements in Brazil are coming to the end of their terms by 2021. This includes eight concession packages for key routes, extending some 2,400km in all and generating over US$521 million/year in toll revenue. Tendering will have to be carried out for all of these routes, with two of the most prominent being the Nova Dutra highway linking Sao Paulo with Rio de Janeiro and the 218km Washington Luis highway in Sao Paulo State. At present CCR has the concession for the Nov

Concern has been expressed in Colombia at potential traffic congestion around the new Tunel de Oriente in Antioquia. Existing roads in Baltimore in Medellin and Sajonia in Rionegro are thought to face potential traffic issues once the tunnel opens, as they have not yet been upgraded. The authorities in Rio negro have launched plans to upgrade 29km of link roads for the tunnel. However further works will be required. Some new bridges will also be constructed to help traffic flow. Meanwhile work is starting

Vietnam is setting a plan in progress to cut the country’s road crash rate. The aim is to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the country’s road network by 5-10%. Various measures are being introduced in a bid to reduce risks for road users, such as better enforcement of existing laws and better traffic flow management for major cities.

Work to the third section of Bangkok’s expressway project is being planned in Thailand. A section of the new expressway will use existing pillars on Prasert Manoonkij Road, constructed originally for a project that was subsequently abandoned in 1994. The new expressway section will connect the Kasetsart intersection with Nawamin Road. It will also connect with the Bang Yai intersection. The work is being carried out in two phases. The first will stretch 12.2km and will connect with Bangkok’s Outer Ring Road

Six major highway projects are planned to boost transport connections in India’s Rajasthan State and are worth a total of US$726.2 million. Work is now commencing on three of the new National Highway routes and these projects are worth $236 million. Work is planned to start in due course on the remaining three National Highway routes, with these projects worth $490.2 million.

Construction of the Canal Seco highway in Honduras, which links the country’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts, still has to be completed.